Ensilage-cutting machine.



W. SINCLAXR.

ENSILAGE CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICA-.NON HLED JULY 26,1917.

as I eliminate expensive and cumbersome i el) UNITE LTATJ@ ANT wrLLrai/r srivotarn, or .smv ANTONIO, rimas.

Easiness-CUTTING ivrneiarnn.

aaa-aree.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM SINCLAIR, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Antonio, in the county of Bexar and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ensilageutting Machines; and I hereby declare that the fol lowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, weich form part of this specification.

'I his invention is a novel improvement in machines for cutting i ensilage and the like; and its objects are to provide a machine which will efficiently cut corn and other rough feed; that can be driven either clockwise or anti-clockwise; that can discharge theV cut feed at different points, as may be most convenient; thatwill have very few parts; that has no cogs or gears to catch theoperators clothing; that will be practically fool-proof; thatwill noty be dangerous to the operator or to a person standing beside the machine; that will do away with feed rolls or other mechanically operated feed devices; and that will enable corn, roots, melons and practically any kind `of rough feed thrown into the feed chute to be cut or shredded and discharged at either the right hand or left hand side of the casing as desired.

A further object is to provide the cutting wheel with reversible cutter blades which can be adjusted to work when the wheel is to rotate either clockwise or anti-clockwise, as may be most desirable to conveniently arrange the cutter adjacent` the silo or other receptacle into which the material is to be discharged. Y i i The machine can be built very cheaply,

traveling feed tables, feed rolls, and gear- "ing, without impairing the efficiency or capacity of the machine, and the capability of the machine for operation on various materials is enhanced.

In the accompanying drawings I have `illustrated one practical machine embodying the invention, and will describethe same with reference thereto; and in the claims the features and combinations of parts for ena-a a v Specification of Letters Patent. Applicatonled July 26, 191'?. Serial No.v182,933.

Patentedhfo'v. 2d, light'.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof in section.

3 is a section on the line SLB Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line ele-t Fig.2.

Fig. 5 is a detail face view of the cutter wheel.

Fig. 6 is a detail section through part of the cutter wheel.

As shown in the drawings the cutter comprises a preferably cylindric casing l which may be of any suitable construction, but is preferably made of sheet metal, and is provided with axially disposed bearings, of any suitable construction, for a shaft 2 on which the cutter wheel 7 is mounted within the casing. This shaft 2 extends out of the casing and is provided with a pulley 2a or other suitable means whereby it can be driven from any suitable source of power, (not shown).

The casing may be divided into upper and lower halves, lc and ld, which may be flanged at their sides and secured together by bolts as indicated in the drawings, so that the upper part of the casing may be removed when desired to repair or change the cutter wheel. The casing is mounted upon a base lX to which it is securely attached; and said base may be of any desired construction.

The casing is provided with a feed opening 1e in one side, at which opening is attached a preferably U-shaped shear plate 3. The casing is also provided at opposite sides of opening le, and below the plane of the shaft, with openings lf and lg in its periphery, which openings are closed by removable plates l and ta, when it is not desired to use the same. VThe casing is also provided in its periphery, above the openingslg and 1f, with openings lh and li, which may be closed by removable plates 4J or a when it is not desired to use the same. Either of these plates may be removed however, and in place thereof a discharge chute head 5 can be bolted to the casing over such opening so that material' can be discharged through such head into a pipe or conveyer (not shown) and directed to the desired point of delivery.

Preferably detachably attached to the side of the casing adjacent the opening lo is a feed chute for trough 6, having side wall-s (it. This chute is `preferably set at an angle of partly tit) itil@ about Y4 5 degreesv to'the casing so asrto direct material by gravity downward into the casing through the feed opening l". A hood 6 may be attached to the casing over the lower end of the chute and above the opening 1 to assist in directing material into said opening, and to serve as a guard to prevent the operator inadvertently put'- ting his hand in the feed opening and being caught by the knives, and so that if the operator stumbled over thechute he Would not come in contact with the knives.

If desired, the chuteniight also be arrangedat an angle tothe opening 1, when viewed from above, as indicated bythe dotted lines in Fig. 4:. i

Upon the shaft 2 Within the casing is mounted a cutter Wheel; which preferably consists of a disk 7 provided with radially disposed slots 7a, and having at each side of each'slot recesses 7 in-Which can be set knives 7c; vWhich knives may be secured inV .the recesses by bolts 7d (see Fig. 5). In the construction shown the knives are changeable,rthat is they may be placed at either side of the slots 7a according to Whether it is desired to run the machine clockwise or anticlockwise.

The recesses opposite the knives may be closed by removable filler-plates 7e, (see Figs. 5 and 6). Preferably the cutting edges of the knives project slightly from the face of Wheel and they coeact With the cutter-bar 3, at the side ofthe feed opening, according to the direction of rotation of the cutting Wheel.

y The Wheel may be provided with a fan yblade or blades attached to vthe rear side thereof, as indicated at 8 in Fig. 5, so that -When the Wheel is rotated it Will create a sufficient blast of air to discharge the cut material ythrough the chut-e lhead 5, or any other casing opening that may be uncovered.

The eXtra openings in the casing-enable the feed to be discharged on to Vthe floor, or into the silo at either side of the machine, asis desired by the operator. By having the -feed trough or chute arranged at an angle of Vpractically 45 degrees to the cutting Wheel I obtain. a slicing cut on the material which would be advantageous in cutting heavy feed .like corn stalks; In some cases the casing and'wheel might be tilted so that they plane of the Wheel would be at an angle to the horizontal' andthe feed chute be more nearly perpendicular, but I prefer to'have the casing and Wheel substantially vertical, and 4have the chute inclined at an angle of about 45 degrees to the horizontal as shown inthe drawings.

I The chute 6 may be hinged at its loiver end to the casing as indicated at 6, and its outer end may be provided with an adjustable leg 6. The leg is preferably made telescopic and can be adjusted to support'the chute at the desired angletosuit the oper-V ator and character of feed being handled. The c hute should be so constructed and arranged that it cannot `contact with the knives By having the feed opening at the bottom and using an inclined chute I am able tofeed `hood6b can be made Wide enough to pervmit the adjustment of the chute.

the material by gravity .When-placed Vin the chute, and the operator can readily place the rough feed in the chute, as it is lovv down and readily accessible. Byhaving the blades changeable and using a` Ufshapedshear plate or bar 3 at eachside of the feedopening, .(see Figs. 3 and 4) I am able toV rotate the cutter Wheel :in eitherdirection. 1

The chute is preferably `detachably hinged so that it can be easily removed and placed outof the Way When the machine is to be stored or transported, Vthus economizing space. i A u 7 i i I claim:* i .Y 1. In a feed cutting machine, the combi,- nation of a. cylindric'casingfhaving a feed opening in one side near its bottomVv and discharge openings; in its .periphery at oppovcloser for either of saiddischarge openings, achute head detachably attachedto the easing over one of said openings; a Vfeed chute attached to Ysaid casing and communicating with the'feed opening, cutter members attached to the casing at opposite "sides vof the feed openinggfa shaft disposed axiallyof said casing, and a cutter Wheel'mounted on saidshaft and having cutters adapted to be inserted on either of the opposite sides ofV openings therein. p

2. In a feed cutting; machine, the combination of la cylindrie casing having a feed opening in one side `near its bottom anda plurality -of dischargeY openings in its peripheryat opposites'ides, of the feed opening, detachable Yclosers for said discharge openings, a chute head detachably attachedto the casing over one of said openings, a feed Vchute attached to saidcasingand comnium- Veating with the feedopening, cutter mem,-V

vbers attached to the casing at opposite sides of the feed opening; a shaft dispoSedaXially Aof said casing, and a cutter Wheel'mounted -on said shaft and providedvwith slots, and

critter blades attachable no1 saidgvvheel at `eitherside of said slots.

3. Acutting machine comprising a cylindric casing having afeedopening in one side near itsV lower Aend and a pluralityV ofv chute attached `to said casing-[adjacent the feed opening, and a cutter bar attachedto the casing adjacent the opening; a shaft journaled axially lof the casing, a cutter wheel mounted on said shaft within the casing and provided with radially disposed slots and duplicate recesses on opposite sides of the slots, cutter blades detachably attached to the wheel at the sides of the slot, and Vfillers attached to the Wheel in the recesses opposite the blades.

l-. The herein described cutting machine comprising a cylindric casing having a feed opening in one side near its bottom and a plurality of discharge openings in its pe riphery at opposite sides of the feed opening, removable closers for the discharge openings, a chute head adapted to be detachably attached to said casing over one of said openings; a feed chute attached to said casing adjacent the feed opening; and a cutter bar attached to the casing adjacent the feed opening; With a shaft journaled axially of the casing, a cutter wheel mounted on said shaft within the casing provided with radially disposed slots and duplicate recesses on opposite sides of the slots, cutter blades detachably attached to the wheel in the recesses at the sides of the slots, and fillers attached to the wheel in the recesses opposite the blades; the blades and llers being interchangeable, substantially as de scribed.

5. In a machine for cutting feed, the combination of a casing having a feed opening in its side, discharge openings in its periphery on opposite sides of said feed opening and detachable closures for said discharge openings, a feed chute communicating with the feed opening and extending at an angle thereto, a rotary Wheel Within the casing provided with cutter blades Copies of this patent may be obtained for adapted to be reversely secured thereto, and cutter means at each side of the feed opening co-acting with the blades on the Wheel.

6. In a machine for cutting feed, the combination of a casing having a. feed opening in its side and discharge openings in its periphery, a feed chute communicating with the feed opening and extending at an angle thereto, a rotary cutter wheel within the casing provided with slots and adapted to be rotated either clockwise or anti clockwise, cutter blades attachable to the wheel at either side of the slots according to the rotation of the wheel clockwise or anti-clockwise, and cutter bars at each side of the feed opening co-acting with the blades on the wheel according to the direction of rotation thereof.

7. In a feed cutter, a cutting wheel having slots and duplicate recesses in one face at opposite sides of each slot, detachable cutter blades adapted to be fitted in the recesses at either side of each slot, and means for detachably fastening the cutter blades in either one of said duplicate recesses.

8. In a feed cutter, a cutting wheel having slots and duplicate recesses in one face at opposite sides of each slot, detachable cutter blades adapted to be secured in the recesses at either side of each slot, and means for detachably fastening the cutter blades in said recesses, with detachable filler plates adapted to be secured in the recesses at the sides of the slots and opposite the blades; and means for fastening the filler plates in such recesses.,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I afhx my signature.

IVILLIAM SINCLAIR.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patente, Washington, D. C. 

